Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes: 8 Treasured Italian Recipes
Pasta with sun-dried tomatoes is one of those dishes that looks simple yet changes completely when you know the tricks. A handful of sun-dried tomatoes in the pan, a splash of oil and the right pasta shape bring a first course that tastes of the South, of sunshine, of summer captured in a bowl. And it’s ready in under fifteen minutes with pantry staples.
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In this guide you’ll find the eight most-loved recipes—from the classic Sicilian with breadcrumbs and anchovies to the creamy ricotta version, from burrata to tuna—complete with exact quantities, timings and the secrets to a glossy emulsion. At the end, the shortcut that has it ready in 5 minutes starting from artisanal sun-dried tomato paté.
The golden rule
Every recipe starts the same way: warm the sun-dried tomatoes in a pan with oil and garlic to release their essential oils and perfume the sauce. Never just “crumble them in raw”—they stay leathery and the flavour stays locked.
Standard quantities for 2 people:
- 200 g pasta
- 50–60 g sun-dried tomatoes (natural ones rehydrated, or sott’olio, or 2 Tbsp paté)
- 2 Tbsp EVO oil
- 1 garlic clove
- Salt, pepper, chilli to taste
How to rehydrate sun-dried tomatoes for pasta
If you’re using natural (dry) tomatoes, soak them in hot water for 20 min. Drain, pat dry and slice into ribbons. If they’re sott’olio, simply drain off the excess oil. If you’re using paté, it’s already concentrated: add it off the heat loosened with a ladle of pasta water.
1. Sicilian-style pasta with sun-dried tomatoes
The most searched and most classic. Sun-dried tomatoes, toasted breadcrumbs, anchovies and capers—poor kitchen, maximum flavour.
Ingredients (2 servings): 200 g spaghetti · 50 g sun-dried tomato ribbons · 3 oil-packed anchovy fillets · 1 Tbsp rinsed capers · 3 Tbsp breadcrumbs · 1 garlic clove · chilli · parsley · EVO oil.
Method: In a dry pan, toast the breadcrumbs 2 min until golden and crisp; set aside. In the same pan warm the oil with the garlic, add the anchovies and melt them 1 min. Stir in capers and sun-dried tomatoes, sauté 2 min. Drain spaghetti al dente (keep the water), toss in the pan with a ladle of water and emulsify. Serve topped with toasted breadcrumbs, parsley and a swirl of oil.
2. Creamy pasta with sun-dried tomatoes and ricotta
The variant loved by children and all over social media. Ricotta brings a white creaminess that hugs the vivid red of the tomatoes—looks matter too.
Ingredients (2 servings): 200 g short pasta (mezze maniche or rigatoni) · 50 g sun-dried tomatoes · 150 g cow’s-milk ricotta · 2 Tbsp Parmigiano · EVO oil · garlic · basil · salt, pepper.
Method: In a bowl whisk the ricotta with 3–4 Tbsp hot pasta water until fluid, add Parmigiano, salt, pepper. Warm oil and garlic in a pan, add tomato ribbons and sauté 2 min. Drain pasta al dente, combine with tomatoes and loosened ricotta off the heat, adding more water if needed. Finish with raw basil.
3. Pasta with sun-dried tomatoes and burrata
An elegant version, perfect for a summer dinner or guests. Fresh burrata torn over the hot pasta creates a temperature and texture contrast that never fails to impress.
Ingredients (2 servings): 200 g pasta (orecchiette or linguine) · 50 g sun-dried tomatoes · 1 burrata (125 g) · 8–10 cherry tomatoes · garlic · basil · EVO oil.
Method: Sauté halved cherry tomatoes with garlic and oil 3 min, add tomato ribbons and cook 2 min more. Drain pasta al dente, toss with the sauce, loosening with pasta water. Plate, then tear the burrata over by hand, drizzle with EVO, fresh basil, coarse salt.
4. Pasta with sun-dried tomatoes and tuna
The ultimate comfort-food pantry version. Two shelf-stable ingredients that together make a hearty, flavour-packed first course everyone loves.
Ingredients (2 servings): 200 g pasta · 50 g sun-dried tomatoes · 1 tin tuna in oil (80 g drained) · 1 Tbsp capers · garlic · Taggiasca olives (optional) · parsley · EVO oil.
Method: Warm oil with garlic, add capers and chopped tomatoes, cook 2 min. Add drained, flaked tuna and olives, cook 1 min. Pasta al dente, pasta water, emulsify. Finish with fresh parsley.
\n5. Pasta with sun-dried tomatoes and courgettes
Mid-summer on a plate. The contrast between green courgettes and red tomatoes, the freshness of just-sautéed veg and the depth of dried tomato, makes this dish light yet characterful.
Ingredients (2 servings): 200 g fusilli · 2 courgettes · 50 g sun-dried tomatoes · garlic · mint or basil · pecorino · EVO oil.
Method: Slice courgettes thin, sauté with garlic and oil 5–6 min over medium-high heat, season. Add tomato ribbons, cook 2 min. Pasta al dente, emulsify with water, raw mint (or basil), grated pecorino.
6. Pasta with sun-dried tomatoes and Philadelphia
For lovers of ultra-creamy sauces. The spreadable cheese melts in the pan creating a white sauce that binds everything. Dead easy and indulgent.
Ingredients (2 servings): 200 g short pasta · 50 g sun-dried tomatoes · 100 g Philadelphia · garlic · parsley · black pepper · EVO oil.
Method: Warm oil and garlic, add tomato ribbons, cook 2 min. Add Philadelphia and 3–4 Tbsp hot pasta water, whisk to a smooth cream. Drain pasta al dente, toss 1 min in the pan. Serve with chopped parsley and cracked black pepper.
7. Spaghetti with sun-dried tomatoes, anchovies and breadcrumbs
A “cousin” of the Sicilian version, minus capers but with extra crunch. Friday-lenten fare, big flavour from humble ingredients.
Ingredients (2 servings): 200 g spaghetti · 50 g sun-dried tomatoes · 4 anchovy fillets · 4 Tb breadcrumbs · garlic · chilli · parsley · EVO oil.
Method: Toast breadcrumbs dry 2 min, set aside with a trickle of oil. In the pan: oil + garlic + chilli + anchovies (melted) + tomatoes. Spaghetti al dente, pasta water, emulsify. Top with breadcrumbs and parsley at the table.
8. Cold pasta with sun-dried tomatoes
For summer or a refined packed lunch. Sun-dried tomatoes love cold pasta because they keep their punch at room temperature (unlike fresh tomatoes that go bland).
Ingredients (2 servings): 200 g farfalle or fusilli · 50 g sun-dried tomatoes sott’olio · 100 g diced mozzarella · 10 black olives · 1 Tbsp capers · basil · EVO oil · balsamic vinegar.
Method: Cook pasta al dente, drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. In a large bowl combine tomato ribbons, mozzarella, olives, capers and pasta. Dress with oil, basil, a dash of balsamic, salt and pepper. Chill 20 min before serving.
The shortcut: 5-minute sun-dried tomato pasta
Use Minnelea artisanal sun-dried tomato paté and you skip soaking, slicing and initial cooking. The paté is already sun-dried tomatoes + EVO oil + garlic + basil blitzéd into a spreadable cream.
Quick method:
- Put pasta water on to boil.
- In a pan warm 2–3 Tbsp paté with a ladle of hot pasta water until fluid.
- Drain pasta al dente, toss 1 min in the pan.
- Pepper, Parmigiano, raw basil.
One jar of Minnelea paté makes 2–3 generous portions. Perfect as a base to enrich with an extra ingredient (ricotta, tuna, burrata, courgettes) following the recipes above.
Why Minnelea Sun-Dried Tomato Paté works
Simple, real ingredients: Cilento sun-dried tomatoes (dried under the sun of the UNESCO Parco Nazionale del Cilento), extra-virgin olive oil from our own groves, fresh garlic, fresh basil. Nothing else. Vacuum-cooked at 55°C, zero preservatives.
In 2025 it received the Great Taste Award and the WineHunter Award Gold.
→ Discover Minnelea Sun-Dried Tomato Paté
Which pasta shapes love sun-dried tomatoes
Sun-dried tomatoes shine with shapes that trap the sauce:
- Spaghetti — for Sicilian versions with breadcrumbs and anchovies.
- Ridged short pasta (mezze maniche, rigatoni, penne) — for creamy versions.
- Orecchiette — perfect with sun-dried tomatoes and burrata, or with turnip tops.
- Fusilli or farfalle — for cold pasta salads.
- Linguine or tagliatelle — elegant for important dinners.
FAQ
Can I swap sun-dried tomatoes for tomato sauce?
Technically yes, but the flavour is very different: more concentrated, sweet-salty. It’s a condiment, not a sauce. Use 50 g sun-dried tomatoes per 200 g pasta.
Do they always need rehydrating?
Only natural (dry) ones. Those sott’olio are already soft. Paté is ready to use.
Can I make the pasta without garlic?
Yes, replace with finely chopped shallot or omit entirely and let the aroma of the tomatoes speak.
Is it high in calories?
Moderately. A standard portion (100 g pasta + 25 g tomatoes + 1 Tbsp oil) is about 430–470 kcal.
Can I prep it ahead?
The pan sauce yes (up to 24 h, refrigerated). The final tossing must be last minute. Exception: cold pasta, which actually improves after 30 min rest.
For more recipes read the complete guide to sun-dried tomatoes or discover sun-dried tomato pesto.
